Getting to the point(s), of Interest (first, lasting impressions): "Quick" nit-wit😔;"no, come back"

"Make it Quick":😓😟 As in, a response to the person of your interest, who might have barely given you "the time of day" (hardly anyone uses "do you have the time?" as an opener, anymore...) Re-gardless, in the presence of someone who might be, upon your approach, only give you one chance...the last thing you want to think about, are the words from M.M. (better known to us, around here, as Eminem) "...palms are sweaty...knees weak..." as you are trying, under the pressure of time and circumstance, to come up with...

A strong, quick opener: One which might in turn prompt them, the person(s) of interest, to open up, to stick around for a lasting conversation...which, in my office, has evolved, over the years, to include now, a few favorites, fall-backs, spring-forwards, defaults, from a vast array of options which, through a scientific, arduous process of trial (as in "trials and tribulations") and error (as in "fail!") , through a process of "ruling out" (a favorite diagnostic term, regardless of venue)...

"Tell me what you don't want, me to know" A sort of "cut-to-the-chase" approach, "save me the time and expense" (or, say, offering to buy them another round of whatever). Which is quite a bit different from the usual opener of say, "So what brings you to see me today...what's on your mind...what's your interest...have you been up to anything interesting, lately, since our last meeting...?" These, depending on where we are "at", in the process of so-called "getting to know each other" which, depending on whether you are the approacher or approachee...might actually prove effective as starters...but, then again...

First, clever responders: The ones that are so-called "quick on their feet" like the actual "players" (football, or whatever venue) find a way to dash through that hole, opportunity someone else ("my wing man"😁) has opened up for them, as in "exposing a vulnerability..."😈😇..."That may have worked for you, in the past, but you're up against the best here, gotta' do way better, to keep me interested...if that was your best shot...boring!" they said just a bit "defensively" (OK, you think you can do better, care to share your best come-back line), the one that sent them in the opposite direction...in football called a "reversal" - a great combination of wit, just the slightest of put-downs, which together might be considered "just a hint of sarcasm" Not to be out-done by, the...

Grandest of Allusions: Such as "you read War and Peace lately?", just as the conversation was getting old... or "ain't this just a grand evening, party?" (one of the oldest, over-used party pick-up lines but it's so bad it may actually be good again...) but the grandest of all, out of the mouths of babes, such as when my grandson at the tender, clever age of three-and-a-half-ish, after listening to me for a bit, finding me a bit repetitious, responded in his own repartee-tious (the root of which: "quick, witty comments...a word to add to your party vocab, to be used only at your discretion) came back, with an idiom with Latin and Greek roots: "So be it, Papa" 😖!😔😉, effectively rescuing me from my own delusions of grandeur, and reminding me that "what works at the office, should stay at the office". Fast forward, about five years hence, comes another grandee goading (when was the last time you got goaded, or you were instead the goadee), another "caught me off guard" moment, in the midst of celebrating his own graduation, after querying him about future plans, and then thinking aloud about whether a second helping might be called for, under the circumstances, came up with what has become, around our house and home, the ponderous moments meme: "It's your world Grandpa..." These and those that are up close and now "in person" with you...moments of grand-iosity😂...

The look of surprise! They, these grandees of ours, leave me thinking...

"Just what did he mean?!" Which, I am guessing is the point, of interest here... 

"Effective":  to say the least...😔😔😔

Coming soon: Full-er dis-closure - secrets, of the trade; trading secrets.